Aubazines is a commune in theMassif Central located some 10 km east by north-east ofBrive-la-Gaillarde and 12 km south-west ofTulle. The D1089 highway passes through the north-west of the commune going fromMalemort-sur-Corrèze to Tulle. However, access to the village is by the D130 branching off the D1089, going south to the village, and continuing south toBeynat. The D48 also goes east from the village toLe Chastang with the D48E branching off it in the east of the commune to go north toCornil. The D14E1 also goes south-west from the village to join the D14.[4]
The village is in the south of the commune on a promontory overlooking theCoiroux at a height of over 150 metres. Apart from the village there are the hamlets of: Pauliac Bas, Pauliac Haut, Villieres, Vergonzac, Le Varachou, Rochesseux, Chastagnol, Quatre Routes, and Les Vayres. The commune is mixed forest and farmland.[4]
TheCorrèze river forms the north-western border of the commune as it flows south-west to join theVézère west of Brive-la-Gaillarde. A number of streams rise in the commune to join the Corrèze including the Ruisseau de la Geinde, 2.7 km long, which rises near Quatre-Routes and flows north to join the Ruisseau de Brauze inCornil commune which flows to the Corrèze, the Ruisseau Français, and theCanal des Moines which branches from the Coiroux.[4]
The lowest altitude of the commune is 126 metres in the west where the Corrèze leaves the commune. The highest points are 520 metres high on thePuy de Pauliac which dominates the area, and in the south-east next toLe Chastang near a place calledla Jarouste.
The village of Aubazines, which had a church, became a commune in theFrench Revolution in 1790 through the dismantling of the parish of Cornil but it lackedVital records until 1 March 1792.[5][6]
Aubazines, formerly writtenObazine, has its origin in the foundation of a monastery byÉtienne de Vielzot in the 12th century.[7][8] The monastery was affiliated shortly after to theCistercian order. Very soon an associated convent of nuns was established in the village of Coyroux a few hundred metres away. The two monasteries existed until the Revolution. Formerly spelledObazine the parish depended onCornil.
The site of the monastic institutions and their dependencies have been the object of archaeological excavations and extensive studies in the last third of the 20th century under the direction of Professor of medieval history Bernadette Barrière.
The village ofGare d'Aubazine, although located in the commune ofSaint-Hilaire-Peyroux is an integral part of the history of Aubazines and ofDampniat than that of Saint-Hilaire.
Therailway station was established at a place calledConfolens however, as the station was primarily to serve Aubazines even though it was on the territory of the neighbouring commune, the council demanded a composite name. The railway acceded to the demand and the stop which was calledAubazine-Saint-Hilaire-Peyroux becameAubazine thereafter. Saint-Hilaire-Peyroux have their own stop atPont Bonnel.
Before 1840, the date of the opening ofRoute nationale N89 (later D1089), there was nothing at the bottom of this valley other than the worn-out mills of:Confolens inDampniat commune,Claredent in Aubazines commune, andJayle inMalemort-sur-Corrèze commune, which were accessible only on narrow, bumpy, and steep slopes by goods wagons. Horses, mules, and donkeys circulated more often than carts.
The village, now calledGare d'Aubazine was rather poorly named. TheSNCF station is located on the right bank of the Corrèze in the territory ofSaint-Hilaire-Peyroux while the left bank belongs largely toDampniat with the nearest village located 2 km away.
The Confolens bridge and paper mill added to progress together with the railway at the end of the 19th century and in 1912 the establishment of a railhead for the departmental tram line going toTurenne thenBeaulieu-sur-Dordogne viaLe BosplosArchived 21 May 2014 at theWayback Machine completed this action. TheTacot (Jalopy) had disappeared by 1932, replaced by a bus and the agglomeration of the Gare d'Aubazine retained its thriving business. New houses were built and a school with two classes was opened for the children. Their parents climbed toDampniat to learn to read.
In June 1944maquisards destroyed the Claredent railway bridge, blocking a German armoured train and preventing convoys of equipment from the manufacture of weapons at Tulle from being quickly transported to their destination on the front or the Rhine.
Party per pale, at first Gules, a sun in his splendour of Or with two mullets the same all posed in pale; at second Azure a crescent moon of Argent with two mullets the same all posed in pale.
TheCanal des Moines (12th century)[14] with a length of 1.7 km, it was built to supply the village - it is the only canal of its kind still operating in Europe.[15] It dominates the Gorges of Coiroux.[16]
TheSaut de la bergère rock (overlooking the Canal des Moines), a 70m high cliff where, according to legend, a shepherdess was thrown from to escape dishonour.[17]
Group sculpture: Virgin and Saint John (15th century)[22]
Group sculpture: Setting on a Tomb (15th century)[23]
The oldObazine Abbey or Abbey Saint-Etienne (1142)[24] and monastic buildings of the ancientCistercian abbey founded in 1142 bySaint Etienne, the first abbot. The abbey contains many items registered as historical objects:
Pierre Brugeilles (1845-1893), born in Aubazines, Mayor of the commune, MP for Corrèze from 1885 to 1889.
Jean-Baptiste Laumond (1865-1957), Mayor of the commune from 1890 to 1944, MP for Corrèze from 1926 to 1938, Magistrate ofAndorra from 1937 to 1940.
Coco Chanel (1883-1971),Hatmaker and clothes designer, spent part of her youth at theorphanage.[68] in the Abbey and managed by the nuns from Saint-Cœur de Marie.
Bernadette Barrière (1936-2004), Professor of medieval history, University of Limoges.
Étienne Jugie, born in Aubazines on 3 May 1878,[69] died atSorgues on 29 November 1954, known in religion under the nameMarin Jugie, (Augustinian of the Assumption)Theologian, author of numerous works, Professor at theVatican and atLyon. He worked on the Doctrine of the Assumption and on the Churches of the Orient, studied "Joseph de Maistre and the Greco-Russian Church".
Thierry Chenavaud, designer and producer of shows since 2007, every year in July the "Cistercian Lights" with huge images at the old monastery of Coyroux at Aubazines. The narration of the show is extracted from theLife of Etienne d'Obazine text from the 12th century, written by a contemporary of Etienne.
^DocumentaryHeritage passion: from Lot-et-Garonne to Corrèze, Marie Maurice and Franck Dhelens, transmissionDes racines et des ailes, 13 April 2011(in French)
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